You've hit upon a key difference in how event registration and management are handled in Real-time Marketing (RTM) compared to Outbound Marketing. You are correct in your initial investigation: the direct "Set registration end date" and "Registration closed message" settings, as they existed in the "Website and form" tab of Outbound Marketing Events, are not directly available in the same way within the core Event setup of Real-time Marketing.
This is a significant shift in the event management paradigm within Dynamics 365 Marketing. RTM focuses on a more flexible and journey-driven approach to event interactions rather than the more form-centric approach of Outbound Marketing for basic event setup.
Confirmation of Feature Absence:
As of the current capabilities of Real-time Marketing, you won't find those exact settings within the main Event entity configuration. The focus in RTM is on building event journeys that control the flow of interactions, including registration, confirmations, reminders, and post-event follow-ups.
Workarounds and How to Achieve Similar Functionality in Real-time Marketing:
While the direct settings are gone, you can achieve similar (and often more flexible) control over registration using the journey orchestration and segment capabilities of RTM:
- Using Segments and Journey Exit Conditions:
- Create a Segment: Create a dynamic segment that initially includes all event registrants.
- Set Journey End Condition: In your event registration journey, add an exit condition based on a specific date and time. Once this date/time is reached, new contacts entering the journey will immediately exit.
- Communicate Registration Closure: You can add a conditional branch in your journey:
- Path 1 (Before End Date): Continue with the standard registration confirmation and follow-up flow.
- Path 2 (After End Date): For contacts entering the journey after the end date, send them a specific email or trigger an internal notification informing them that registration is closed. You can customize the content of this email with your "Registration closed message."
- Using Custom Fields and Journey Branching:
- Add a Custom "Registration Closed" Field: Add a Yes/No custom field to your Event entity.
- Automate Setting the Field: Use a Power Automate flow to automatically set this field to "Yes" on a specific date and time.
- Journey Branching: In your event registration journey, add a condition that checks the value of this "Registration Closed" field.
- Branch 1 (Registration Open): Proceed with the standard registration process.
- Branch 2 (Registration Closed): Send a "Registration closed" communication.
- Leveraging the Event Website (If Using the Portal):
- If you are using the Dynamics 365 Portal for your event website, you can often configure the registration form directly on the portal to disable submissions after a specific date. The portal has its own content management capabilities where you can display a "Registration closed" message. This would require customization of the portal itself.
- Using a Third-Party Registration System and Integrating with RTM:
- If you have a dedicated third-party event registration platform, many of these offer built-in registration closure dates and messages. You can then integrate the registration data from that platform into Dynamics 365 and use RTM for your communication journeys.
Why the Shift in RTM:
The move away from direct end-date settings within the Event entity in RTM reflects a broader shift towards using journeys for more sophisticated and automated customer experiences. This allows for more granular control over the timing and content of communications based on various triggers and conditions, including time-based ones.
Recommendations for Your Migration:
- Embrace Journeys for Event Management: Start planning your event registration and communication flows using RTM journeys. This will give you more flexibility in the long run.
- Utilize Segmentation: Combine segments with journey logic to target the right people at the right time based on their registration status.
- Explore Power Automate: Power Automate can be a powerful tool for automating date-based actions related to your events.
- Test Thoroughly: As you implement these workarounds, thoroughly test the registration flow to ensure it behaves as expected before and after the intended registration end date.
While the direct "Set registration end date" and "Registration closed message" are not present in the RTM Event entity itself, the journey orchestration capabilities provide robust alternatives to manage registration timelines and communicate closure effectively. It requires a shift in mindset from a form-centric to a journey-centric approach.
